The Asphode Meadows
by Kellie Fay
Summary: Valarie gets two very interesting perspectives on Danny Phantom when they find a Special Place within the Ghost Zone.
1. Chapter 1

TheAsphode Meadows

By Kellie Fay

Danny Phantom belongs to Butch Hartman, and Nickelodeon.

This idea came to me while I was writing "The Siege" of where Miss Daily's mother had been and where she went after she left Maddie. It also nagged at my creativity demons that we don't know what happens to people who don't become ghosts in the DP universe, and what will happen to Danny if he ever does die. You might want to read "Missing" before you read this, I'm not sure if you'd need to see that story to understand everything, but this first chapter is before missing or Destabilized. Enjoy!

And yes Orca Song is done, and this is going to be a quick two shot.

Before D-Stabalized

In retrospect the whole thing was Skulker's fault. If he hadn't been chasing both of them, Phantom might not have taken that route. Then again if she hadn't been chasing Phantom in the first place Skulker's might not have found either one of them.

Now the two enemies worked as allies both running from the Ghost Zones greatest hunter zipping through the night trying to get an advantage.

"You know I would have caught Skulker already if you hadn't worn me out chasing me all night" Phantom complained.

"Shut up and keep flying!" Valerie shot back. Skulker had some new jet pack, and it took everything the two of them had to just keep ahead of the hunter.

"I've got an idea," Phantom said. "I found a new way into the ghost zone the other day. It's a little weird, but we should be able to lose Skulker. Follow me."

Valerie followed close behind the ghost boy's tail until they came to a building in the middle of town. Upon seeing the building Valerie gave Phantom an incredulous look. "You have got to be kidding me."

Phantom snugged. "Nope," he answered.

Phantom was wrong, it wasn't weird. It was downright creepy. The porthole lay in of all places a funeral home. "How did you find this?" Valerie asked.

"The Fentons were here the other day. An old friend of Maddie's died. I was watching them, and I saw some guy come out of the closet then go back in with the guy who died. I figured it's a way into the ghost zone. "Come on let's go. Skulker right behind us."

Reluctantly Valerie put her hand in Phantom's and allowed him to phase her into the funeral home. Fortunately at three o'clock in the morning nobody was around. Valerie tried to ignore the instinctive chill she felt. The last time she had seen one of these places she had been six at her mother's funeral.

"Come on it's this way," Phantom said, fortunately he ignored the rooms where the caskets lay. Instead he went for what looked like a small storage closet. Again he placed his hand in Valerie's, and phased them through the closet.

A brilliant light blinded Valerie for a few seconds. When she could see again she found herself hovering over a huge grassy lawn where hundreds and hundreds of ghosts just lay dozing, basking in the light of a bright circle in the center of a hazy pink sky. Valerie couldn't even count the number of ghosts present here or see to the end of the field.

"Are you sure this is the Ghost Zone Phantom?" Valerie asked. When she didn't get an answer she began to look around worried. "Phantom?"

She found Phantom hovering near to the bright shining vortex on the sky. She opened her mouth to berate him for deserting her, but the words died in her throat when she saw Phantom staring at the vortex like a three year looking at a Christmas store window.

"Why can't I come now?" He asked the light wistfully. Valerie didn't hear an answer, but Phantom must have, because he then said, "well, no. Can I wait here?"

"Phantom," Valerie asked getting worried now. "Who are you talking to?"

"Don't you hear the singing Valerie?" Phantom asked. He closed his eyes trying to listen harder. "It's beautiful"

"No, I don't hear anything Phantom. Where are we? Is this the ghost zone?"

"Sort of," Phantom answered, he floated down to a clear spot on the grass and lay down with his hands behind his head staring up at the glowing disk in the sky. "Andrew said there's a door back there that leads to the rest of the Ghost Zone. It's so peaceful here."

Following Phantom to the grass, Valerie agreed that the area possessed an uncommon beauty, but the way Phantom acted here upset Valerie. He didn't seem to care that they were lost here. He wanted to stay. Valerie watched Phantom's eyes drooped then closed. He took in a deep breath of air rolled over then fell asleep.

_Like every other ghost here! _Now frightened, Valerie shook Phantom hard trying to wake him. "Phantom! DANNY! Wake up! We can't stay here!"

Thankfully Phantom managed to open his eyes, and look at her puzzled. "Valerie? Why can't I stay here?"

Hoping she could keep him focused Valerie kept talking. "You have to take me home Phantom. You got me here in the Ghost Zone; you have to get me out of it!"

"Oh, "he said absently. Whatever weird spell that held him, obviously made him not remember that. He sat up slowly then took another longing look at the disk above him.

Valerie shook him again. "Come on Phantom! Snap out of it! Take me home! "

Phantom blinked twice, and gave her the saddest of looks like she just asked him to give up a cherished toy. He took her hand and flew up away from the disk to a violet door that looked old splintering with the color washed out.

"Is that the way to the rest of the Ghost Zone?" Valerie asked.

"Yeah," Phantom answered. Again he hesitated looking up at the shining disk reluctant to leave it.

"Phantom please!" Valerie begged she reached out, opened the door, and pushed Phantom through before she flew through herself.

Once on the other side of the door Valerie relaxed. This looked like the ghost Zone she remembered from when Skulker kidnapped them. At her right Phantom shivered a little and looked at the door behind him. "It's cold out here," he complained. He gave Valerie a pleading look. "Please can I go back to the meadow?"

"No Danny," Valerie insisted. "you have to take me home!"

Getting out of the area didn't help Phantom recover one bit. In fact he looked like he was about to cry. He had his hand on the door with a pained expression on his face.

"Phantom you have to snap out of it!" Valerie demanded.

"Perhaps would be best if you took him to my Tower where he can recover," a new voice said. Suddenly before them floated a tall adult ghost with a hood and a staff that had a clock on the end. He had a jagged scar over one eye and wrist watches on both his wrists the way some girls wore loads of bangle bracelets.

This ghost caught her by surprise. She pulled out her ecto-gun, but before she could fire she heard the words, "TIME OUT" and her world faded to white.

When Valerie came back to herself she found herself in a strange clock tower surrounded by different gears and well clocks. Valerie also saw a number of monitors showing different scenes. Valerie suddenly did a double take and stared at two of the monitors. One showed her first battle with Danny Phantom almost two years ago, and the second showed her waking and dragging Phantom from the strange ghost meadow.

Suddenly Valerie heard her name being spoken in a frantic frightened manner, following the sound Valerie came upon Danny Phantom seated in a large recliner drinking from a teacup. Next to him sat a weird looking child ghost who had the exact same voice as the ghost who called to her before.

"Valerie is fine," the child ghost said shifting to the ghost she remembered. "She is here in the tower. I had to stop time to bring you both here. She reacted to my presence badly."

Phantom let lose a stressed out chuckle. "Don't tell me, I don't want to know. She is okay though?"

"Better than you are Ghost," Valerie said gently. "What happened to you?"

"Still trying to get an answer to that," Phantom said looking at the strange time ghost, who had now transformed to someone much older. "Valerie this is Clockwork, the ghost of time. He's never in the real world unless on business, so no hunting."

"Uh hi," Valerie said uncertainly.

Clockwork nodded then turned his attention back to Phantom. "In truth I am not surprised you reacted so strongly to the Asphode Meadows. Your primary nature is good. All good spirits enter the Ghost Zone through the Asphode Meadows and then are given their options."

"Options?" Phantom asked surprised. "I understand why they wouldn't let me go on, but how can anyone not choose that place?"

"You arrived at the Meadows rather abruptly," Clockwork reminded him. "the Spirits who enter The Ghost Zone through that rout are given time to adjust and choose. The Spirits you saw at the Asphode Meadows are all waiting."

"Waiting? Waiting for what?" Valerie asked.

"Friends, loved ones," Clockwork explained. "would you not wait for your Father if death separated you from him?"

"Keep my father out of this," Valerie snapped. "Nothing could make me into a ghost!"

"You don't get it Valerie," Phantom shot back at her. "Clockwork hasn't used the word 'ghost' once talking about the beings resting there. Ghosts are restless spirits weather human or otherwise. Believe me nobody there is restless, and I get what Clockwork is saying. No matter how much I liked it there, if moving on meant not seeing my friends again until they died I would wait for them."

"So you'd sleep until they got there? What's the difference?" Valerie asked.

Clockwork gestured to one of his viewing windows. "Because Sleepers can awaken," he explained. All Valerie could see were rows and rows of sleeping spirits, but then one of the sleepers sat up, looking distracted. Then they floated up to one of the half dozen doors in the sky and vanished. "When one chooses to wait, they dream of friends and family. If they feel they are needed they may return. They do not have the power of a true ghost, but often all is needed is a gentle nudge in the right direction."

"I get it now," Phantom said. Valerie looked at Phantom in alarm, because he spoke in those same distracted tones he did while in the Meadows. "If things had come out differently, I would be there already."

"If things had gone differently, yes," Clockwork confirmed.

"You still want to go back there." Valerie said shocked. "That place almost had you. You would have slept forever if I didn't make you leave."

"Probably only a day or two," Phantom said startling her. "Someone back home would have started to worry, and then I would have realized that I needed to go home." He looked up at Clockwork for confirmation.

"Most likely," The strange time ghost agreed.

Valerie wondered how Phantom could be so sure of that, and where was his home? Instead she asked, "but you still want to go back now?"

Phantom sighed, and looked at the window wistfully. "I'm not going to leave you here in The Ghost Zone, Valerie, and I know you didn't see and hear the things I did, but it's so nice there. It's one of the most beautiful and peaceful places I've ever seen. You can't not want to be there." Taking a deep breath he then said, "but I can wait." He turned away from the window and said, "come on, it's time I take you home."

Valerie suspected that he deliberately didn't look at the door leading to The Meadows when they left the tower. Through the whole flight through the Ghost Zone Phantom remained quiet. His mind obviously elsewhere.

He led her back oddly through the Fenton Porthole then taking her hand phased her through the ceiling out to the night sky of Amity Park. "Home sweet home," he said, "you can get home by yourself right?"

Valerie gave Phantom the oddest of looks. By now they were usually at each other's throats for one reason or another. Normally she would have turned the tables on Phantom already, and try to trap him, but right now hunting Phantom just seemed wrong. The faraway look in his intense green eyes told her that he wouldn't need much excuse to go back to those meadows.

"I can get home fine ghost, don't worry about me," she said. "you better go to your home and get your head on straight. Cause tomorrow I'm back after your ectoplasmic butt."

Phantom now gave her an odd look realizing that she could be hunting him, but chose to end the hunt here. "Suit yourself," he said. He rose up into the night sky and simply vanished.

_This was definitely a weird night, _Valerie thought to herself. She pointed her jet sled in the direction of home and flew off into the night.


	2. Chapter 2

TheAsphode Meadows

By Kellie Fay

Danny Phantom belongs to Butch Hartman, and Nickelodeon, not me. Sarah is mine.

I'm presuming you read chapter one of this. I hope you enjoyed it. This is chapter 2 and unless a creativity demon bites me again it's done. This chapter is after my story Missing, which is after De-Stabilized.

**After Missing**

Valerie sighed and frowned at the page before her. Danny Phantom still remained an enigma to her. She looked at her list before her. There she organized four columns on the page_; facts, negatives, positives, questions. _

Facts

_Vlad Masters is half ghost_

_Danni Phantom is a girl half ghost cousin to Danny Phantom_

_Danny Phantom is friends with Sam Manson, and Tucker Foley_

_Miss Daily uses magic_

_Danny Phantom adores Miss Daily_

Negatives

_Danny Phantom ruined my Life_

_Vlad Masters lied to me_

Positives

_Danny Phantom warned me about Masters_

_Danny Phantom cares about his cousin_

_Danny Phantom says he protects Danny Fenton and his friends_

_Danny Phantom helps Tucker and Sam_

_Danny Phantom saved the town from the Ghost King._

Valerie looked at the last entry and added_ Vlad Masters gave me the Ghost King's ring and left me to take the heat_ to her negative column. In the last column several questions still plagued her.

_What was the story with that stupid Ghost dog?_

_Why are Vlad and Danni human and Ghosts? _

_If Danny Phantom is good why is he a ghost?_

_Why does Danny Phantom protect The Fentons and Danny's friends?_

_Why is Miss Daily friends with Danny Phantom?_

Looking over her last question Valerie added: _Why is Danny Phantom in such a bad mood lately?_ She put down her pen and surveyed her work. "The question of the week," she muttered to herself. She wondered if she should take her courage and her pride in both hands and ask Miss Daily that last question.

Something had been frustrating the ghost for the last few weeks. While still gentle with people he fought his enemies with a fierceness that made Valerie glad she doesn't hunt him anymore. There were also a few occasions where Valerie would see Phantom with Miss Daily, a teacher at Casper High that moonlights as a sorcerous and magic user. They both would be sitting on a flying carpet, and Valerie would watch Phantom pour out his heart to the woman. A sadness, and helplessness seemed to envelope the ghost, causing even the most skeptical to admit that yes Phantom did have the same emotions people did. Nobody seemed to know why Phantom was so unhappy lately.

Valerie suspected it had more to do those late night visits Phantom and Tucker had been paying to the hospital. Tucker wasn't happy either. Something had been bothering Danny Fenton's best friend for some time now. A resigned sadness hung over him that he tried desperately to hide by talking incessantly about nothing, and playing with his PDA. Neither Danny nor Sam were fooled_. For that matter I don't think that anyone in school is fooled, but nobody is on good enough terms with them to ask what's wrong. _

Well that wasn't true. She was, or at least she was with Danny. Sam still wouldn't give her the time of day, but Tucker occasionally would say hi to her or send her an email of notes she missed. _Maybe I should talk to Tucker directly. Danny tends to get too jumpy if I start asking personal questions._ Valerie decided to see if she could get Tucker alone after class tomorrow, and ask him what's wrong.

The brisk October morning seemed unusually sunny and bright, considering Tucker and his two friends looked so down. Danny fiddled with his pencil nervously. Sam shifted her attention between Danny and Tucker almost expecting something to happen.

They were all in Social Studies when suddenly for no reason Mr. Lancer came into the room. He whispered to Mr. Madison for a moment who blinked surprised, then said, "Mr. Foley, Mr. Lancer needs you for a moment."

Tucker looked a little perplexed, but he dutifully followed the assistant principal out of the room. Valerie watched both Danny and Sam stare at the door concern plainly on their faces. Mr. Madison went back to the lesson, but he did not bother trying to get the pair's attention.

A moment later Lancer returned. He said a few more words to the teacher then said gently, "Miss Manson, if you would please gather up Mr. Foley's books and bring them to the main office."

Sam looked confused, but she moved over to Tucker's seat, and began to gather his books together. Danny ignoring the rules got up, and addressed Mr. Lancer directly. "Mr. Lancer what's wrong? Is this about Tucker's Uncle?"

Lancer looked down at Danny clearly reluctant to speak. After a few seconds hesitation he said, "Daniel, while I am sure Tucker has confided in you I feel it would be inappropriate to discuss this with you now. I'm sure your parents will be notified once arrangements have been made."

"Arrangements?" Danny echoed. Suddenly realization flooded his eyes. "No!" he cried out.

Sam came up behind him and put a hand on his back. "Danny," Sam said gently.

Mr. Lancer sighed, "perhaps Mr. Fenton you would prefer to speak with Miss Daily right now before Math Lab."

Danny sighed defeated then looked at Lancer probably a little surprised at his compassion. "Yeah, yeah I would. Thank you Mr. Lancer." With that Danny made a bee line to the door, all but running to Miss Daily's class.

An hour and a half later Valerie found herself hovering near Miss Daily's door. Valerie couldn't help but fear the woman. In all the weeks after Miss Daily got exposed as a witch Valerie never again caught her doing magic, but Valerie never forgot that her father along with all the other adults outside Miss Daily's house simply dropped what they were doing and walked home. True it was the ghost witch who cast the spell on her to keep anyone from believing her, but the spell on the adults told Valerie that this woman had far more power than she could deal with. All of her ghost weapons were made to deal with just ghosts. She didn't think she could battle magic. Then with the fact that Phantom had been right about Mr. Masters, Valerie wondered that maybe the town did need Miss Daily and her magic. She just didn't have the courage to face the woman.

"What are you doing here Grey?" Dash's voice cut into Valerie's musing. Everyone in school knew that Valerie hated Miss Daily and avoided her room like the plague. Valerie looked up to see Dash exiting the feared math room.

"Not that it's any business of yours Dash, but I was looking for Danny, and Mr. Lancer told him to come to Miss Daily an hour ago. He was really upset when Tucker went home early today."

Dash's expression softened at that. "Yeah, Foley's uncle passed away this morning. I heard some of the teachers talking about it. I guess Fenton knew the guy to. Him and Foley have been buds like forever."

That made sense. "Man, poor Tucker," Valerie said, "and I guess that Danny is taking it pretty hard too."

"I guess," Dash agreed. "Him and Manson are in Miss Daily's office in the back of the room. I could hear them in there, but they didn't come out for the whole class." Suddenly noticing Valerie's uncertain expression, he said with a grin, "what are you scared of going into Miss Daily's classroom?"

Valerie didn't answer but Dash laughed anyway. "Oh that's rich! This whole town is filled with ghosts and the one teacher that can keep ghosts out of her classroom you're scared of!"

Letting her temper give her a little bit of courage Valerie snapped, "I'll show you who's scared!" She stuck her nose up in the air and marched past Dash into the magic user's classroom.

It looked like an ordinary enough classroom. Formulas littered the wall, plus a poster showing all the ways one used math. Another poster behind her desk showed a blueprint of the Space Shuttle showing all its dimensions. _No wonder Danny likes her, _Valerie thought, _who needs magic, when you can attract students with their favorite things?_ Confirmation of that came when Valerie noticed a project Dash did calculating the arcs of a thrown football and one Danny did on a rockets trajectory. Miss Daily sat quietly behind her desk grading papers. When she looked up, and smiled Valerie almost ran for it, but the teacher's next words kept her from moving. "It's about time. Danny is in my office, please go and see if you will have better luck calming him down than Sam, and I."

A little surprised, Valerie slowly made her way to the back office. Noticing the door slightly ajar Valerie pushed it slowly open. Danny stood pacing in the small confides of the office, more the size of a walk in closet. Sam actually sat at Miss Daily's desk watching him walk back and forth. "This is so not fair Sam,"

"I know Danny, but there isn't anything we can do about it, and being angry about it isn't going to do any good either." Sam said reasonably. Her head turned almost like a tennis match while Danny moved from one end of the room to the other.

"I know," Danny admitted. "I just feel so helpless."

"Everybody always does when somebody dies." Valerie said finally announcing her presence. "That's just the way it is."

Danny snapped around, and seemed to resent Valerie's intrusion. "Oh?" he asked sarcastically. "How would you know?"

"Danny," Sam chided him.

Ordinarily Valerie would be angry right back at anyone who treated her like that, but it was all too evident that Danny was hurting in some way, and only lashed out at her because of it.

"My mom died of cancer when I was six." she said calmly, "my dad went through a tough time of it trying to push everyone away. My Grandma made him get his act together by threatening to have child services giver her custody of me. He pulled himself together after that, and except for me buried himself in his work, until he lost that job."

Danny sank into Miss Daily's oversized guest chair his elbows on his knees, and his head in his hands. "I'm sorry Valerie, I don't know what's wrong with me," he said miserably.

"Your best friend's uncle just died, and there isn't anything you can do about it," Valerie answered. "You don't know how you should feel, so you're feeling everything."

"I guess," Danny said, looking at the floor. "I just wish there was something I could do."

"We have to be there for Tucker," Sam said firmly.

Valerie nodded. "That's all you can do."

To nobody's surprise both Danny and Sam were absent the next day, but they were back the day after, minus Tucker. Sam appeared to be calm and cool like always. Danny still looked angry and miserable; he just hid it better now. Most of the teachers, aware of how long the two were friends, treated Danny with a gentleness that surprised even him.

For some reason Valerie felt compelled to go to the wake. She knew that both Danny and Tucker needed the support. Around Tucker Danny seemed more in control of his emotions, but a moment in the bathroom with Sam confirmed Valerie's suspicions.

"Fenton's pulling an act, isn't he?" Valerie asked when the two girls were alone.

Sam, who quietly tolerated Valerie's presence around the boys, went into "protect Danny" mode instantly. "What are you talking about?" She asked.

"Danny's still taking it hard," Valerie answered evenly. "I don't know why he's reacting worse than Tucker, but he is."

Sam sighed. It's complicated." that seemed to be a standard answer when it came to Danny.

Valerie wondered if maybe she shouldn't talk to Danny directly. She left the rest room, and went looking for Danny. To her surprise she found him in the main area staring at a closet door with a strange blank expression. She wondered if he, like she, knew that the door opened up into that strange part of the ghost zone where all those sleeping spirits waited. Valerie thought about going up to Danny and checking up on him, but Sam reached him first.

"Danny?" Sam said gently, touching his arm. "Is everything all right?"

Touching Danny seemed to wake him from his daydream. "Huh? Oh, yeah Sam I'm okay."

Sam looked at Danny skeptically. "What were you thinking about?" she asked concerned.

Danny's attention turned back to the mysterious closet door. "Just wondering something," he said absently.

Later that evening Valerie patrolled the night sky looking for ghosts, when she saw flashes of green near the funeral home. Worried, she flew over to the area to see, a very angry Danny Phantom pounding the daylights out of Skulker. About twenty yards away, Miss Daily sat on her flying carpet watching the proceedings. Valerie dropped her altitude a bit so she wouldn't be noticed. Ever since she started watching Phantom instead of hunting him she noticed that every Friday night Phantom spent most of it with Miss Daily. Sometimes they would Spar, and sometimes they would just hang out and cruise around the town. Valerie still didn't know if she could trust Miss Daily, but she figured out long ago that these meetings might teach her something about the pair.

One thing she did learn was that if Phantom was hunting ghosts, Miss Daily would just sit and watch, occasionally administering the cous de gras with the Fenton Thermos. The only time she would intervene is when she felt that Phantom was outmatched that usually meant three or four ghosts not just Skulker.

Suddenly with a huge explosion of ectoplasm Skulker's armor split into three pieces, with the head flying off to the left. Miss Daily maneuvered her flying carpet, and expertly caught the projectile. Valerie didn't know whether to be more shocked at Phantom's ferocity, or the calmness that Miss Daily displayed observing Phantom.

"I told you Danny wasn't in the mood to deal with you today," Miss Daily scolded the armored head. "I told you that he was going to feel like trashing the first ghost that gave him a hard time. You have no one to blame for losing your armor but you." to Valerie's surprise Miss Daily reached in and plucked out a tiny blob ghost from inside the head.

_That's Skulker?_

Without an ounce of remorse Miss Daily activated the thermos sucking the tiny ghost inside. A moment later Phantom joined her on her carpet. "Feel better?"

Phantom glared at her crossly "no," he said, and before she could say anything else he continued, "and I know you told me so."

Miss Daily shrugged. "You have amazing abilities Danny," Miss Daily said gently, "but you don't have control over life and death. I don't have that power either. Very few individuals have that kind of power, and even if you were one of them, would you want to be the one who decides who lives and who dies?"

Phantom sighed. "I guess not,"

Miss Daily stared out into the start sky. "Some time in the late eighteen hundreds, there was a being of power who had the power of luck. Things that he willed to happen would. One day he was riding with a posse after some outlaw and there was a shootout. He willed of course to survive, and he did, but his best friend, who had no power, did not. You see he could only will one thing to happen at a time. After that he abandoned the guardianship, and became a gun for hire going after lawbreakers. During that time he found some witch in New Orleans that took away his gift for good, at his request. He wanted to be normal, but fate always gets you in the end. Someone planted a bomb at a mine, and he tried to stop it, but without his luck not only did he die but all the people he tried to save. If he had kept the power-"

"He could have willed the bomb not to go off," Danny finished getting the lesson.

"He got a little obsessed over rules after that," Sarah said, finishing her story. "Somehow in his depression and transition he decided by getting rid of his power he broke some sort of universal rule. So people who in his opinion break rules need to be punished."

Now Phantom looked at her with a hint of a smile. "Walker?" He asked surprised.

Miss Daily nodded. "That's why he doesn't like The Guardianship, because they didn't stop him from abandoning his power."

Phantom gave her a quizzical look. "Did he miss the whole 'we force no one,' thing?"

"He would have to admit he was wrong. It's easier to blame The Guardianship for not doing their job than to admit he made the wrong choice." Miss Daily explained.

"Well that explains a lot about him," Phantom said looking up at Miss Daily through his mop of hair, "but I'm waiting for the moral here."

Miss Daily chuckled. "It's simple, we are not all powerful, and everything we do has consequences. We need to think very carefully about our choices, and when there is no choice we simply have to accept it."

"I know," Phantom answered still sounding dejected, "it's just that I see all those ghosts in the ghost zone, and for others death just seems so final. Somehow I know I'll never see Tucker's uncle in the ghost zone, and I don't know why. I've got to wonder what else is there." Phantom sat on the carpet staring at the funeral home below. "There's something I've gotta know," he said suddenly. He jumped off the carpet startling Miss Daily. She maneuvered the carpet next to him grabbing onto his arm.

"Danny, where do you think you're going?" she asked sternly.

With his eyes still on the funeral home Phantom said, "to get some answers."

Miss Daily shook her head no. "Danny if it wasn't for Valerie you wouldn't have come out of there. I don't think it's a good idea to go back."

"But they understand what I need to know," Phantom answered stubbornly, "they can explain this stuff in a way I can understand." Firmly, but gently he pulled away from Miss Daily. "It's okay Sarah. Everything is going to be fine," he said, and then before she could protest again he flew away towards the funeral home.

Valerie didn't know what she could do. She knew what that place could do to Phantom; he could fall asleep there for who knows how long? Looking down at the funeral home feeling helpless, she suddenly saw one of the windows open wide. Suspicious she looked back up at Miss Daily on her flying carpet. The mysterious magic user looked directly at Valerie and mouthed the word _please_ at her.

That was a request, a pretty desperate request. Go after Danny and make sure he comes back. Valerie sighed; sure she must be out of her mind to do this. She nudged her rocket sled forward and slipped inside the funeral home.

Fortunately she knew exactly where to look for Phantom. Her only worry was that she would have no way to enter that dimension without Phantom. She didn't need to worry. Phantom didn't enter the closet at all. He simply hovered there with his hands on the glowing porthole. His eyes closed, and he wore an intense listening expression on his face. His entire body simply stood there relaxed, like he was asleep on his feet, or in his case floating before the brilliant aperture within the door.

"Oh." The sound of his voice startled Valerie. She didn't expect him to talk, nor did she expect to hear that strange hypnotized voice he used when they entered the meadows the first time. "I guess that's okay then. It's just that I can't help thinking about it now."

Again Valerie watched Phantom listen to voices only he could here. Whatever he heard seemed to be helping him. The muscles in his shoulders relaxed, and a small contented smile began to grow around the edges of his mouth.

"Sometimes I wonder though," Phantom continued speaking to his unseen companion, "what's going to happen to me." After a moment of listening, Phantoms eyes popped open filled with hope. "Really?" He asked. After a few seconds he said solemnly, "no sir I won't I promise." After a longer pause a genuine full smile lit up his face. "Thanks," he said to the shining porthole. "Thanks a lot." His hands fell from the door, and the light faded, but the strange spell on Phantom didn't break right away. He floated there sill apparently listening to something Valerie couldn't hear. "He said they make their own choices about their destinations, and the love that they share with friends and family never goes away. We just have to learn how to reach it." Then with a chuckle Phantom said, "he said that Sarah's right. Love is one of the most powerful magic there is."

Suddenly Phantom blinked and seemed to wake from his trance. He rubbed his eyes, and looked around him in confusion. "Jeeze, I don't know what they do to my head when they talk to me, but I don't think I'll have problems sleeping for a month."

"Buzzed ya again Ghost Boy?" Valerie couldn't help but tease him.

Still trying to recover, Phantom turned to face his former enemy. "Valerie?"

Valerie put her hands on her hips and shook her head at him. "I don't believe you put yourself where they could get to you again."

Phantom gave her a quizzical look. "They're not bad Valerie, they're good. They have to do that so I can hear them. It's...it's just a little overwhelming."

_I wonder if Miss Daily can figure out what they do to Phantom's head,_ Valerie thought. Out loud she said, "Speaking of overwhelming, there is a magic user probably having conniptions outside wondering what happened to you."

Phantom's hand went to his forehead. "Oh man! Sarah!" Phantom took Valerie's hand in his and phased them both out of the funeral home. Once outside Phantom dropped her hand, and flew up to rejoin Sarah.

"Danny are you okay?" Miss Daily asked clearly worried.

Valerie chuckled a little. "He's fine, just a little buzzed. He didn't even go in. Whatever he was looking for came out to talk to him." Phantom gave her a puzzled look, but didn't argue.

Sarah still looked firmly at Phantom until he sighed impatiently, and said. "Yes Sarah I'm fine it's not a big deal." Valerie glared at him, but said nothing. Before Valerie could contradict him, he said, "I'll tell you what happened over coco and some of your cookies."

"You're on hot shot," Miss Daily said. She gave one look at Valerie. "Valerie, do you want to-"

"No thanks, Miss Daily," Valerie said understanding that the woman only invited her out of gratitude, and good manners. Valerie still didn't trust her. "I really need to be getting home. You just take care of this trouble maker, okay?"

"It's a deal. Goodnight Valerie." Miss Daily said. She took off into the night sky.

Phantom, who looked vaguely disappointed that Valerie didn't decide to join them, said, "yeah, bye Valerie." Then flew off after Miss Daily.

Valerie smiled feeling oddly relaxed after the evening's events. She kicked her rocket sled up over the tree tops, and caught the breeze before turning her sled towards home.

Phantom wasn't the only one whom had his questions answered tonight. Ever since he showed her that porthole months ago a question tormented her in the late nights before sleep took her. Was her mom a ghost? Did her mom rest in those meadows waiting for her, or was she somewhere else?

_"He said they make their own choices about their destinations, and the love that they share with friends and family never goes away. We just have to learn how to reach it."_

She didn't even know if Phantom knew what he told her. Whatever those beings were on the other side of the porthole, they must have known that she had questions to, and somehow used Phantom to pass the message along. Upon entering her bedroom window, she deactivated her suit, and put on her nightgown.

_Goodnight mom_, Valerie thought into her pillow_. If you're out there somewhere I want you to know I love you._


End file.
